The plan calls for rift sawn walnut for the legs (Walnut plywood for the top—huh?). 90% of the info on the web around this concern oak. Around here, QS walnut isn’t easy to come by, but it is possible. I’d have to special order rift sawn. I know a bit about the difference, and why rift sawn is better for this application.

Two questions (feel free to express any thoughts on this):1) What will be the difference in appearance? Some places I've read that with Walnut, there is no difference in appearance.

2) is there any difference in strength, at least that would concern me?

Thanks, Charles

-- "Man is the only animal which devours his own, for I can apply no milder term to the general prey of the rich on the poor." ~Thomas Jefferson

If you get rift sawn the the legs will look the same on all sides. Many times 8/4 plain sawn boards will yield rift sawn wood on the edges if you look carefully at the end grain. If you carefully select the right 8/4 board you should get enough rift sawn to make the legs easily without having to go to quarter sawn. If you look at the photograph, yes it’s maple but the principal is the same, you see where I marked a line delineating the rift portion of that plain sawn 8/4 board. You could rip that length off of there and if the board is long enough it could yield 4 rift legs of the coffee table from one cut.

It’s always good to make legs from rift sawn stock if you can. End grain is more or less angled to 45 degrees, and it yields straight grained and stable legs. It makes a big difference in the way oak table legs look, but I think walnut looks pretty good any way you slice it.

-- Willie, Washington "If You Choose Not To Decide, You Still Have Made a Choice" - Rush

If you get rift sawn the the legs will look the same on all sides. Many times 8/4 plain sawn boards will yield rift sawn wood on the edges if you look carefully at the end grain. If you carefully select the right 8/4 board you should get enough rift sawn to make the legs easily without having to go to quarter sawn. If you look at the photograph, yes it s maple but the principal is the same, you see where I marked a line delineating the rift portion of that plain sawn 8/4 board. You could rip that length off of there and if the board is long enough it could yield 4 rift legs of the coffee table from one cut.

- bondogaposis

That’s interesting, Bondo. The left portion is the rift, as the grain begins to curve on the right, correct?

What would be the advantage of doing this instead of just using QS—is it that the grain on QS is not the same on all 4 sides?

-- "Man is the only animal which devours his own, for I can apply no milder term to the general prey of the rich on the poor." ~Thomas Jefferson

On Bondos picture, unless there is some weird computer flipping going on…the right diagonal grain is the rift-saw section…the left is the plain-sawn.

The point is that on prominent grain, like oak, those diagonal rings mean the legs will look similar on all 4 sides.

When speaking of a 4-sided square leg, there is no real difference between quarter-sawn and plain-sawn. If you turn the leg one way, it looks quarter-sawn, and vice versa. 2 of the sides will have lots of tight grain lines, and possible ray flecks…the other 2 sides will have much wider grain patterns.

-- I'm strictly hand-tool only...unless the power tool is faster and easier!

For the small quantity you’ll need(if you decide you want to go the ‘rift route’) Bondo’s suggestion is the simplest.The example he shows (the right hand side) is borderline rift. The growth rings should be anywhere between 30 to 60 degree’s, 45 being optimal for best effect and stability. For legs that shape and size, using flat sawn wouldn’t be an issue at all regarding stability, but the table design it’s self would be complimented by the rift cut Walnut Imo.

-- It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. Aristotle

I agree with rift sawn is the best looking table leg,With no cathedral grain showing,Quarterd sawn will have cathedral grain on two opposite sides.One more advantage of using rift is sometime you may get lucky and get nice runout in the grain placed correctly at the bottom of the leg can give your table nice movement.Imagine how the bottom of a tree sweeps out from the trunk.Aj